Embers of Sword

Chapter 560 Twenty-Four Hours (Part Six)
The great array behind the mountain trembled violently, the lightning shattered, and the tribulation clouds dissipated.

Two people in black stood facing each other, one above the other.

Grand Master Chongkan looked at his eldest disciple, a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

Xuanzhi Zhenren broke through the realm at an extremely fast speed; it only took a dozen breaths for these tribulation clouds to condense and dissipate.

But after a dozen breaths...

For a powerhouse of his caliber, it was already more than enough to carry out the suppression.

Chongkan did not do that.

He gave Xuanzhi a chance, wanting to see how far this disciple could go.

"One step into the Yang Shen realm."

Chongkan sighed and said, "I thought you were the least talented among all the disciples back then... but I was wrong. Your talent is much stronger than theirs."

None of the disciples Chongkan has personally taught over the years have been able to break through to become Yang Gods.

They either died on the northern battlefield back then.

They are either stuck in the great tribulation of the Yin God's perfect perfection.

On the contrary, it was Xuanzhi...

Those who do not strive for anything end up being number one.

He broke through the barrier and stepped into the sixth level of the Yang God realm.

Such a story is unique in the thousand-year history of Taoism.

Unfortunately, Xuanzhi's breakthrough today was due to a conflict between master and disciple.

"congratulations."

Chongkan spoke slowly, each word uttered with utmost solemnity: "If you stop now and leave the back mountain, everyone in the Daoist sect will call you Great True Man. As long as the sect leader remains in Tianyuan, you will be the second-highest leader in the Daoist sect."

When Master Xuanzhi heard this, he simply shook his head.

"...I don't care."

He spoke casually.

The Great Master?
The second leader of the Taoist sect?
Do these empty titles... have any meaning?
"Then what do you want?"

Chongkan suppressed his anger and tried his best to remain calm.

"I don't want anything, I just want everything to go back to normal."

Master Xuanzhi thought for a moment and said, "If Master stops now, I can continue watering and fertilizing when I return to Qingnang Mountain... Hmm... the weeds in the backyard should also be removed."

"..."

Grand Master Chongkan fell silent.

He sighed.

The majestic Dharma image suspended in the sky once again stretched out its palm. This time, it did not restrain its power as before. The Great Dao Realm, with its immense pressure, seemed to encompass the entire back mountain in its palm.

Master Xuanzhi subconsciously picked up his hoe, only to find it empty. He sighed slightly with regret and immediately clenched his fist.

Master Xuanzhi took a light step.

With the body of an ant, he tried to shake the giant tree of Taoism.

One punch!
boom! ! !
Countless dazzling rays of light exploded from the sky. This attack was simple and unadorned, yet it contained the "Great Dao" cultivated by True Person Xuanzhi for a hundred years.

……

……

"Tell me, what exactly is the Dao that True Person Xuanzhi comprehended?"

Halfway up the back mountain.

The Candle Daoist stood with his hands on his hips, looking up at the sky. Although the back mountain was covered by a great formation, the dazzling light and fire, as sharp as chiseled iron, surged outwards, almost filling the entire sky. Standing on the mountainside and looking up, it was as if witnessing a divine miracle of a god hammering down on earth. With a heavy hammer blow, thousands of mountains and rivers shattered and turned into flames and silver light.

Oh shit.

So incredibly beautiful!
"I also want to know……"

Master Yanwei was so engrossed in watching that he couldn't help but sigh.

It is often said that the Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.

What kind of spiritual path can one cultivate by hoeing the ground, farming, herding cattle, and feeding sheep every day?

In a single moment of enlightenment, he stepped into the Yang God realm and was able to fight his master, who was at the eighth level of the Yang God realm, to this extent.

Is this justified?

……

……

There's probably no justice in this world.

Grand Master Chongkan flicked his sleeves, looking at his palm with a complicated expression. After the exchange of punches, a crack appeared in his palm, and faint golden blood seeped out from the crack.

After ten years of seclusion in the Taoist sect, he took over his senior brother's position and became the head of the number one sect in the world.

The Great Chu Dynasty was universally respected, and its seven schools were all loyal to its rulers.

The reason is simple... In terms of cultivation level, he has almost reached the pinnacle of this mountain.

Eighth level of Yang God. Besides my senior brother, Zhao Chunyang, and the two from the Great Chu Imperial City.

Is there anyone in this world who can consistently outdo you?

Let alone suppressing himself, even a great cultivator who can fight him is extremely rare.

Sixty years have passed since the Battle of Drinking Poison ended and peace was restored in Chuli.

For a full sixty years, the Great Master Chongkan was never injured.

As he looked at the blood seeping from his palm, a long-lost sense of disorientation washed over him.

the other side.

Master Xuanzhi retreated several dozen feet, slightly disheveled, but eventually stopped her retreat. She stepped onto the blue brick at the end of the mountain path, dissipating all her energy. The blue brick was shattered into dust before she quickly retreated, leaving a long, narrow ravine in her wake.

The dust settled and swirled in the air.

Xuanzhi stretched out her sleeve and wiped the blood from the corner of her lips.

Although he had stepped into the sixth realm of Yang God, his internal energy had only just been solidified.

The all-out attack against Grand Master Chongkan took a heavy toll on him, causing his internal energy to surge and resonate with thunderous booms.

This battle—

Compared to the battle in the northern frontier back then, it was several times, even dozens of times, more severe and difficult!
"What kind of path is this...?"

A deep, resonant voice of bewilderment echoed from the ceiling.

Chongkan stared at the cracks spreading across his palm, his expression complex, lost in thought.

"What way?"

Master Xuanzhi frowned.

He looked at the sleeve where he had just thrown his punch; a strong wind swirled around it, enveloped in Daoist intent.

He had never thought about this question.

When he entered the Daoist sect, Chongkan urged him to cultivate diligently, and he did try to practice asceticism in seclusion, but unfortunately, his aptitude was mediocre... Later, his master lost patience and assigned him to look after the herb garden, which Xuanzhi Zhenren found quite enjoyable. He disliked conflict and idle chatter; having his own little corner of the world was enough for him.

after that.

Having Qingnang Mountain meant that hoeing the land every day was his greatest fortune.

He knew that this was his path.

only……

What exactly is this Dao?

He couldn't tell.

Xuan Zhi only knew that after cultivating for sixty years, she had subtly merged with Qingnang Mountain—

He never thought about it.

This lifeless, spiritless mountain, it turns out, was breathing.

If you calm your mind and close your eyes, you can hear the call of the plants and trees of Qingnang Mountain.

And then, much later...

He then truly became one with Qingnang Mountain.

In the past, when he heard the sound of rain, it would start raining from the sky within half an incense stick's time.

In the past, when he heard the wind, a strong wind would arrive within three to five breaths at most.

But in the end, it changed.

If there is a prolonged drought, and he desires rain, the sound of rain will soon arrive.

On Qingnang Mountain, he became a "god" who could grant any wish.

It is said that cultivators, in the end, must have their own natal grotto-heaven... Ironically, Xuanzhi has never cultivated a "natal grotto-heaven".

But this Qingnang Mountain is no different from the so-called natal grotto heaven.

This is why he desperately tried to stop Chongkan.

The Taoist sect's fortune has been completely drained, and Qingnang Mountain, which is responsible for guarding the main vein, will soon be depleted.

He wanted to save Qingnang, which was also saving the Taoist sect!
"Master, I don't understand what you're saying."

Master Xuanzhi shook his head and sighed, "Over the years, I haven't cultivated any Tao... I've only cultivated the flowers and grasses on this mountain."

Grand Master Chongkan looked at the black robe on the ground.

In a daze.

He seemed to see his senior from many years ago.

Two completely different people overlapped and became one at this moment.

……

……

(PS: 1. Only one update tonight. There will be another update tomorrow morning at noon. I will write a longer one, around 4 words. 2. It's a real shame that this whole part of the story is called "Twenty-Four Hours". Actually, there are better titles for these chapters, for example, this chapter reminds me of "The Tao That Can Be Told". 3. It's the end of the month, so please use any extra monthly tickets you have~ Mwah~)

(End of this chapter)